Tokaimoya
by Zenaga the Sea Serpent
Summary: She ran away. If only she had known that her actions would leave him scarred forever, in more ways than one... -:RetPai:- -:Starts halfway through the series:-
1. Runaway

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tokyo Mew Mew, or Japan. I do, however, own the island of Namika and it's little towns, including Tokaimoya.**

* * *

She had been overjoyed in that moment, that precious moment when he had said yes. After half a year of crushing on him, she had worked up enough courage to ask him out. She was happy, so very happy. She wished that she had known then what this event would have caused. Poor, poor Pai-san. If she could change what happened, she would.

She hadn't realized in time that forming a relationship with Ryou would end up in something that she ached for, yet loathed the idea of at the same time. If only she had known.

She stood now, on the cliff near the bay. She wondered how they would feel. Would they even care? What about Ryou? Would he regret his actions? A tear rolled down her cheek. She wanted to believe that he would. She was wondering now if she should have left something else aside from a letter and her mew pendant. Maybe she should have left the ribbons from her hair? No, that would be silly.

She remembered the words that she had scratched onto that piece of paper, tears burning her eyes.

To all my dear friends at Café Mew Mew,

I'm sorry about this. I know it's sudden, but I've made up my mind. I don't think that I'll ever see any of you again… no… I know I won't see any of you again, but please remember that I don't regret what I've done. Please tell my parents not to look for me. It feels cruel, but I cannot bear it any longer. I don't want them wasting their time trying to find me.

Sincerely, Midorikawa Retasu.

P.S. Shirogane-san, I love you. Please remember that, always. I'm sorry.

A gust of wind blew past her, causing her already messy hair to become even more so. Retasu stared down at the water far below. She wondered how long it would take them to find the body. Who would find it? Would it be a stranger, or someone she knew? Cautiously taking a step toward the edge, she continued to stare, wondering if this would be the last thing she ever saw.

She supposed that it depended on which way she fell. Maybe it would be the cloudy sky that she saw. Maybe it would, in fact, be the bay. She knew in that moment, however, that she wouldn't die. She let out a sob before falling to her knees, cradling her face in her hands. She had to get away. She had to start again. She would go somewhere far away, to a place where no one knew her. They would think that she was dead, but she would be living a new life, in a new town with new people.

She smiled. There, she would take her mind off everything from her past life.

Goodbye, Shirogane Ryou.

* * *

"Where is she?" Ichigo cried, Purin sobbing in the background. "Where is Retasu Onee-chan?" She hiccupped as Minto hugged her comfortingly. Keiichirou glanced at Zakuro worriedly as Ryou stared at the letter. "We should search Tokyo. Check all her favorite places, things familiar." Keiichirou suggested as Ichigo walked up to him, her face grim. "Should I check the library?" She asked as Minto scowled at her. Although in a state of panic, her tongue was still sharp.

"Why would she go to the library if she's written us a letter saying that she's going to kill herself?" She snapped as Ichigo glared at her. "I'm just throwing ideas out there." She growled as Zakuro stepped between them. "This is no time to be arguing. We have to find Retasu before it's too late…" She didn't finish the rest of her thought. _If it isn't already too late, that is…_

"Yo, how's it going, Koneko-chan?" Ichigo whipped around to see Kisshu floating in mid-air, a huge grin on his face. She quickly thrust her fist at him, missing, due to his quick reflexes. "Not now, Kisshu." She growled as Kisshu frowned. "What's wrong, Koneko-chan? Did I do something wrong?" This time, Minto flung herself at him, knocking him over. "Go away, you bastard! We have more important things to focus on right now than your stupid plans." She choked as Kisshu stared up at her.

He glanced around to see all their faces filled with anxiety. "What's gotten into all of you?" He asked as they all glared at him. "Just leave, won't you?" Purin sobbed as she buried her face in her arms. Kisshu stared at them. "Fine. Pai probably won't forget this so easily, however." Minto's eyes burned in rage. "Well, Pai can go fuck himself in a gutter for all I care." Kisshu glared back at her before teleporting away, leaving the mews to their panic and angst.

* * *

"What?"

"They seemed really unhappy, so I left them alone. They weren't transforming or anything."

Pai punched Kisshu in the face. "You idiot! Do you even care about our planet anymore? Who cares if the humans are sad?" He growled as Kisshu rubbed his cheek. "Like you're one to talk! Haven't you been sneaking off to watch that fish girl?" He demanded as Pai narrowed his eyes. "A Finless Porpoise is a mammal, and no, I haven't been sneaking off to watch her." Kisshu rolled his eyes. "I don't care what a porpoise is, and yes, you have been. I've seen you!"

Pai's eyes widened. "Wait; was Midorikawa Retasu present at the café?" Kisshu stared at him, a bizarre expression on his face. "Who the hell is Midorikawa Retasomthing?" He asked as Pai threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "Midorikawa Retasu! Mew Retasu! Fish girl!" He cried. "Ah." Kisshu paused, his hand on his chin. "Now that I think about it, I didn't see her there." Pai wasn't able to keep the panic out of his eyes.

He kicked Kisshu out of his path as he dashed out of the room, heading towards the main computer. "Hey! Where are you going?" Pai ignored him. He quickly opened up the screen of the computer, frantically searching. He had placed tracking devices in all of her clothes. Well, not just hers. The other mews had them too, but the only signal that Pai really kept track of was Retasu's.

"What's going on, Pai?" Kisshu asked as Pai's eyes followed that little green dot on the screen. "Not now, Kisshu." The green haired alien hit himself on the forehead. "Why does everyone keep telling me that?!" He cried as Pai dashed back out of the room. "Oh, great… now where are you going?" Pai stopped and turned to Kisshu briefly. "I'll be back soon. Don't worry." With that, he teleported away, leaving behind an extremely confused Kisshu.

* * *

This was the area where her signal currently was. The crowd spread out, away from the man who had fallen from the sky. Pai's eyes darted about, trying to find Retasu in the crowd. "Excuse me." He pushed his was through the people, trying to find her signal. She was close. So close, he could almost smell her sweet scent. What was it that she smelled like? He tried to remember, but he couldn't…

He stopped. Her signal was right in front of him. He stared at it. He slowly walked over to the trash bin, peering into it. There it was, lying in the trash. He reached in and pulled out the school uniform. "Damn it!" He cried as he threw the uniform back into the trash and whipped around, trying to catch a glimpse of her. Even the end of her braid would do…

"Damn it!" He cried again as he fell to his knees, slamming his fist into the ground. He could hear the people around him whispering things, but he didn't care what they were saying.

She was gone. Gone. He couldn't track her now.

…

"What do you mean 'you're leaving'?"

"Exactly what my words imply." Pai responded as Kisshu and Taruto stared at him. "Why? Where are you going?" Pai glanced at his feet. "I'm going to search Japan." Now they were staring at him like he was nuts. "What for?" Kisshu demanded as Taruto glanced between the two of them. "I'm going to search for Midorikawa Retasu." He responded. "She can't leave the country. She doesn't have her passport." Kisshu's eyes were sad as he turned his gaze to the ground.

"When will you be back?"

"I don't know. I don't plan on returning until I find her."

Kisshu looked back up at him again. Tears were starting to form in Taruto's eyes. He ran up and clung to Pai, not able to restrain his sobs. Pai glanced down at him as he placed his hand on his head. He pushed Taruto away from him and crouched down to look him in the eyes. "Don't cry, you big baby." He growled as Taruto backed away slightly. Pai's frown softened into a slight smile as he rubbed the top of the younger boy's head.

"It won't be all that long, I promise." With that, he stood up and turned away from his companions. Kisshu blinked as he crossed his arms.

"Hey, Pai?"

"What?"

"You'd better bring Retasu back soon, or I'll beat the crud out of you."

Pai smiled as he teleported away, leaving the other dimension forever.

* * *

**Okay, so, I've been wanting to get this story out of my system forever, so... please excuse the cruddyness of this chapter. Dx**

**This will have three chapters, and I'll include some information on Tokaimoya in the next one.**

**Anyway, R&R please!**


	2. To Tokaimoya

**Disclaimer: I don't know you! ... I mean... I don't own Tokyo Mew Mew! xD**

**Author's Notes:**

**Half of this was written at least 6 months ago, I swear. xD I was going through my stories and I decided to finish this. :3 Who knows when the final chapter will be out.**

**P.S. sorry for the story being so rushed. D:**

**

* * *

**She was a smart girl. She thought things through, decided what she was going to do, and how she was going to do it… she was smart enough to have figured out that suicide wouldn't do her any good… right?

Pai himself was beginning to doubt this as he opened up the map once again, the crinkling of the paper like music to his ears. Really annoying, repetitive music that made you want to whip out a machine gun on your stereo, that is. He could feel the eyes of the people in the station on his back, their little brains thinking that they could burn holes into the back of his head with their laser vision. Fwuaaaaahhh… I'ma chargin' mah lazarzzz…

Sometimes, Pai wanted to pull out the stereo demolishing machinegun and use it on himself. He crossed off Motobu on the map with a sharpie. Perhaps the fragrant, brain killing fumes were the cause for his bizarre thoughts… one of those bizarre thoughts including an image of Retasu sitting seductively, rubbing chocolate on her naked body. He slammed his head into the wall in front of him, attracting the attention of the people that weren't already staring at him with their beady little laser beam eyes.

Then again, it's not everyday that you see a weirdo with huge pointy ears, weird hair and a trench coat slam his head into the wall, trying to get some perverted picture out of his head. Pai stood up straight again, his face bright red, and attempted to regain his composure. He cleared his throat and looked towards some six year old looking girl who was staring at him. He looked back at her blankly for a minute before speaking. "What are you looking at?" He asked as the girl blinked.

"You look like the man from Onee-chan's stories." She said as Pai blinked too. "Your 'Onee-chan' must tell some pretty scary stories." He muttered as he returned to his map reading. The girl blinked again. "Not really. They're really interesting, actually. And besides, I don't think that you're the kind of guy that you'd find in a scary story." Cute. Pai turned to her again, his face blank. "Uh-huh…"

"They're mostly about this other guy and four other girls, though." The girl crossed her arms, bearing uncanny resemblance to Pai… well… eighteen years ago, maybe. Pai turned back to his map, tracing his finger upwards from Motobu. It wasn't the first time that a kid had come up and started talking to him, despite the protests of their parents. Of course, they were usually scared shitless at this point, due to the fact that Pai would scowl at them in a fashion that made him look like a serial killer, and/or a rapist.

"She liked one of the guys a lot… apparently he was her boyfriend." She said as Pai let out an exasperated sigh. "Listen, kid, is there something even remotely important in what you're telling me, or can you just piss off now?" He growled as the girl drew back slightly. "Calm down, mister. I'm not giving you any trouble." She spat back as Pai rolled his eyes. _You might not be giving _yourself_ any trouble…_

"Could you please just run off to your parents? I haven't exactly had the best five years." He growled as the girl blinked. "Wow… that's a long time to be sad." Okay, now this kid was pissing him off. He gave her the look. She understood it and ran off towards a thirty-something woman. Pai sighed and turned back to the map, trying to find some place that he hadn't squeezed every last drop of Retasu out of.

Then, he saw it. My god, it was so _tiny_. Pai stared at the small island north of Motobu. He read the word next to it. 'Namika'. Hmmm… since it wasn't scribbled out with black, he decided that this 'Namika' would be his next stop. He folded up the map again and walked over to the ticket master. The older chap who sat on the other side of the glass stared at Pai curiously.

Clearly his black turtleneck, knee-high brown boots, black pants and trench coat were suspicious looking. As if his natural features weren't bad enough, he had to go running around in emo-human clothes. Oh well. "One way trip to Namika, please." He said as the ticket master smiled. "Alrighty! Would you like a map of the island as well?" He asked as Pai raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I would. Thank you." He forked over the cash as the man gave him the ticket and map in exchange.

Pai then proceeded to walk towards the platform, his boots squeaking on the floor. Freshly cleaned… Nice… He groaned when he saw the annoyingly cute little girl standing, waiting for the train, _the same fucking train that he was going to catch._ He frowned and leaned against a pillar, his arms crossed. His stomach growled. The little girl giggled. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, a blush lighting up his face. He had forgotten to eat again today. And yesterday. And the day before that.

Pai hated himself sometimes. He blinked, staring at the pillar across from him, a thought suddenly occurring to him. If he hadn't gone looking for Retasu, he would probably be lounging about with some of his friends. Whether it would have been on Earth or the planet that his ancestors had run off to, he didn't know. Although… it was more likely that it would be the newer planet, wasn't it? He blinked again, listening to the train pull up.

Why was he even looking for Retasu? Why should he even _care_? Pai handed the ticket to one of the train operators and boarded following the girl and her mother. Upon boarding the train, he noticed that the only free seats were across from the girl. He scanned the cab again in desperation, only to find that they were, in fact, the last seats. Sighing, he slumped down into the aisle seat, the frown on his face more prominent then usual.

"Ah! Mister! You're going to Tokaimoya as well?" The girl asked cheerily as Pai blinked. "What the heck is a Tokaimoya?" He asked as the girl giggled. "It's the first stop on the island, and the last stop on the line." She responded as he cursed to himself. "There's only one stop on the island?" He groaned as she smiled brightly. "Yep!" He wished that there was a wall in front of him so that he could ram his head into it several times.

"Are you okay?" Pai realized that he must have been making a bizarre face, because the girl was looking at him like he was nuts. "Hmm? Oh, yeah I'm fine." He lied as the girl's guardian turned to look at him. "May I ask what business you have in Tokaimoya?" She asked as Pai turned to her. My, she had a pretty voice. "I'm looking for someone." He said as she smiled. "A runaway?"

Pai turned to look out the window as the train started to move. "Yeah…" He said softly as the little girl perked up. "Your girlfriend?" She asked as Pai whipped around to face her, his face bright red. "She's not my girlfriend!" He growled as the girl giggled. "I can tell that you're lying." She said in a sing-song-ish manner which caused Pai to want to strangle her.

The woman smiled as she turned to watch the scenery. After a moment, she turned back to the little girl. "Any girls that you think could be his runaway, Umeko?" She asked as Umeko crossed her arms again. "Maybe Onee-chan?" She pondered as the woman raised her eyebrows. "Oh? You think she might be the one?" Umeko nodded in reply. "He looks like the man in her stories." She said as the woman turned to eye Pai.

"Hey, he kind of does, doesn't he?" She said as he shifted uncomfortably. "Oh! I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Amaya, and I think you already know Umeko." Amaya said as Umeko grinned from ear to ear. He nodded slightly before glancing out the window. "Do you live in this 'Tokaimoya' place?" He asked as Amaya also glanced out the window as well.

"Yes, we do." She replied, brushing her long hair out of her face. Pai glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He would have wanted to ask her to marry him right then and there if she didn't already have a ring on her finger… and a kid. Besides, he wasn't into older women. He quickly looked back out the window as she turned to him. "How about you?" She asked. Pai wasn't quite sure what to say.

_Well, I was born and raised a couple galaxies away, then when I came to Earth six years ago, I was chillin' in a different dimension above Tokyo for a little bit, then one of the girls who I was fighting against, ran away, so I've been moving around Japan for a while now._ If he said that, she would surely think he was nuts. He didn't want her to think that he was crazy, but he also didn't want to lie to her, so he simply grunted "It's confidential" and stared at the floor.

She frowned slightly and shifted her gaze back out the window. "You're not human, are you?" Oh shit. Pai had almost forgotten that since she looked at him like he didn't have huge ears. There was a moment of silence in which Umeko stared at him, her jaw hanging wide open. "I'm not." He replied blankly as Amaya smiled slightly. "I figured." She turned to face him again.

"You're one of the fellows who were fighting the mews, right?" He whipped around to face her, his eyes wide. Could she see into his very soul? He took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes again. "Yes, I am one of the 'aliens' that was perpetrating the attack on Earth." He said as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I thought you were a cosplayer!" Umeko squealed as Pai and Amaya both looked at her with the same slightly disdainful look.

She shrunk back slightly as the woman looked back to Pai, her expression unreadable. "Most people would probably shun you at this point, huh?" She said as he slowly met her gaze. "Yeah…" He murmured as he looked out the window again. She smiled at him softly as she folded her hands across her lap, her eyes tracing the outline of his ears. "You didn't really enjoy being part of the attack, did you?"

Suddenly, he felt compelled to pour out all his emotions to her, regardless of the fact that he hardly knew her. "In the beginning, I did… but after I met _her_…" A tint of pink spread over his cheeks as the words slipped out. "I don't know… she was just so warm and kind… like… like…" He rolled his eyes at what he was about to say. "Like a light in the dark." He growled as Umeko giggled at his cliché response.

"I know, I know." He snapped at he looked out the window again. "You must love her a lot to go searching for her." Amaya said warmly as Pai frowned slightly. "I honesty don't know if I do or not." She looked out the window as well, sensing that he wanted to end the conversation there. The rest of the train ride was silent, Umeko dozing off halfway through.

It was near sunset when the train pulled into the station, although you could hardly tell. Pai immediately understood why this place was called Tokaimoya. The fog was so thick; he couldn't see the other end of the train. Fog Town. As he stepped off the train, into the fog, he inhaled deeply. His heart began to hammer against his chest. She was here. The words sounded creepy in his head as he realized why he knew.

He could smell her.

It was a gentle smell, almost unnoticeable here in this thick fog. He still couldn't put his finger on what she smelled like, but it was a scent he would have recognized anywhere. His fingers were quivering. It might have been because of the hunger that banged against his sides, making him want to cave in on himself, but he insisted to himself that it was because she was here, within reach. Amaya stepped off the train, Umeko following behind her, and stopped beside Pai. She leaned forward slightly to get a look at his face.

"Are you alright?" She asked quietly as Pai whipped around to face her, his eyes wild. Surely she saw him as more of a madman now. "She's here." He managed to choke out as he faced forward again, clenching his fists. Amaya's eyes widened. "Are you sure?" She asked as Umeko looked curiously at the two. He slowly nodded, his eyes staring through the fog. Then, without warning, he bolted from the spot where he stood, running though the gates and into the town.

He continued to run though the streets, his boots splashing in the puddles in the brick road. The few people lingering in the street watched him as his eyes glanced wildly around the building that sped past him. Suddenly, he stopped. Her scent was stronger here… more… fresh. He shut his eyes, inhaling, trying to find where it came from. Slowly, he turned to his left and began walking, his eyes still closed.

She was here… she was _here_… it had taken him years to find her, repeatedly searching all of Japan's regions, and here she was on this little island that almost magically appeared on the map. He made a right, not tripping even slightly despite his lack of visuals. Why, why did he spend such a long time searching for her? Why didn't he stop searching, believing that she was dead?

All thoughts slipped from his mind as he stopped at the edge of the sand, seeing the bright orange of the sunset through his eyelids. He slowly opened his eyes, seeing it there… the figure standing in the only area of Tokaimoya that didn't seem to be shrouded by the fog. He broke into a run again as he saw her there, her name trying to escape from his lips. "Midorika-" He nearly choked on the name. "Retasu!" He managed to yell, causing her to whip around and stare at him.

"Pai-san?" She called back, turning to face him. The smile that had lit up his face suddenly vanished as he saw the other figure that stood with her. He staggered in the sand as everything suddenly became blurry. He knew that he was fainting, but he wasn't sure if it was the hunger finally taking its toll, or if it was the sight of the child who looked exactly like Retasu.

It might have been both.


	3. Goodbye

**A/N****6/11/10:** And thus, I present to you the third and final chapter of 'Tokaimoya'. This story was forgotten by me while I was working on my longer stories, but I finally decided to finish it. A lot of the scenes came to me as I was writing them, although some of them I had in mind for a while. I wrote the first few paragraphs quite a long time ago, so it might be written a little differently. This chapter is also one of the longest things that I have written in a long time. (It was 8 pages in Microsoft Word.) A lot of the interactions are probably out of character, but its 1:30 AM, and I haven't gotten enough sleep lately, so I really don't care anymore. I should probably proof read it when I'm more conscious though…

This chapter is also dedicated to a friend of mine who I believe said that she was reading this story. Don't worry; I could never think anything bad about you.

Goodbye, Tokaimoya.

Sincerely, Zen.

(Although it's a very short story, I feel oddly accomplished in actually finishing a multi-chapter story. I think that this is my first time ever doing such a thing.)

* * *

_Kisshu had asked him when he arrived back in their dimension, "What's wrong?" Pai simply stared vacantly past him, not bothering to pat the snow off of his clothes. "Pai?" Kisshu had stared, concerned about his comrade. Pai murmured something that Kisshu couldn't hear, even with his acute senses. "What?" Pai looked at him, his eyes blank._

"_It's nothing."_

He slowly opened his eyes now, entering back into the world of the awake. Her scent was strong here… overpowering even. He guessed that it was her house. He blinked slowly, running his hand along the irregularity in his face. He shut his eyes again, simply taking in the warmth in the sweet-smelling room. The door clicked open, and he turned to look as she entered the room.

"Good morning, Pai-san." Retasu said softly as she gracefully slipped into the room, closing the door behind her. He blinked again, and then blushed.

"Good morning." He responded as she sat in the chair next to the bed.

"How are you feeling?" She asked as she smiled slightly. Almost as if on queue, Pai's stomach growled. His face turned redder as he turned away in embarrassment. She giggled into her hand as he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

She was definitely older. She had completely filled in her curves at this point, causing her body to look rather different than it had five years ago. She had cut her hair as well, he noticed. It now just barely hung loosely past her shoulders, falling around her neck in green strands. She had, in addition, abandoned her older, circular glasses for a sleeker, more mature looking pair.

"You're beautiful." He said softly as Retasu stopped giggling. She blushed and glanced away, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"O-oh… thank you..." She said quietly as she glanced nervously between the floor and his eyes. Pai blushed again and turned his head to stare up at the ceiling.

"How long have you been hiding here?" He asked as she sat up straight and looked at him again.

"Since… right after I left, I believe…" She said, turning away from him once again. He said nothing for a while and simply stared at the ceiling.

"Why?" He whispered as he clutched his sheets. She turned back towards him to see him looking at her, his eyes blazing with fury. Her eyes darted about, unsure what to say. "I asked you why, Midorikawa-san." He hissed as she clenched her hands into fists.

He sat up, looking at her accusingly. "Is it because you were pregnant?" He growled as she stared at him.

"What?" She whispered as he swung his legs off of the bed and stood up, towering over her.

"I've been looking for you for five years." He whispered as her eyes widened. "Ever since you left." She drew back slightly as she saw the hurt in his eyes. "I saw you." He choked, fighting back the tears that were forcing their way to his eyes. Retasu stared at him in confusion, and then, understanding, and finally, regret.

"Pai-san, I-" She began, but she was cut off by Pai grabbing her shoulders and forcing his lips on hers. A million different feelings swept through her as he kissed her. She even kissed him back, but she ended it by pushing him away. "No, please, I barely even know you, Pai-san." She said as she shook her head. He looked crestfallen as he stared at her, his hands dropping from her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, but this is all so sudden," she said, almost as if she were pleading with him. "I mean, I've always felt compassion for you and your people – well, you especially - but the one that I loved was…" She trailed off as he sat back down on the bed, almost falling into it.

"I know. I'm sorry, I was out of line." He said, cradling his head in his hands. "I mean, as angry as I am at you for running away, I guess… well… I guess that I love you." She noticed that Pai's voice began to sound strange as he talked, but then she realized that he was beginning to cry.

"Oh god, Pai-san-"

"Just stop." He growled as he lifted his head, wiping away his tears. "You've already said enough." He got up, searching around for the rest of his clothes. "I would get out of your hair as soon as possible, but I promised everyone that I would bring you back when I found you." After he ascertained that his other clothes were nowhere to be found, he sat back down, clasping his hands together. Then, realizing that something smelled very strange, he smelled his long hair, and then grimaced.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to use your bath." He said coolly as Retasu smiled at him sadly.

"Of course."

* * *

Pai had forgotten how refreshing it was to be clean. Of course, he remembered as soon as he was immersed in hot water. He couldn't help but sigh peacefully as he stretched his feet out of the tub. He had not been this relaxed in a long, long time. After lying silently in the steaming water for several minutes, he decided that it was time for some serious bodily cleansing. He sat up, water rushing from the rest of the tub to take his spot. Examining Retasu's selection of shampoo and body wash, he frowned slightly, realizing that no matter what, he was going to be emerging from the bath smelling strongly of fruit.

After he cleaned himself with the appropriate soaps, he sunk back into the water, immersing his head so that only his face was above water. He stayed like this for a long time, looking at the pictures that he could see in the texture of the ceiling. No matter how hard he squinted, he imagined that all of them looked like Retasu. He sighed again, closing his eyes. He felt pretty bad about the way that he had blown up at her like that, but he couldn't take what he said back now. He had always known that she would be unattainable, but he hadn't expected it to be like this. Then again, a lot of things happened that he hadn't imagined.

Like that night when he arrived outside Retasu's window that snowy day, a small, wrapped trinket in hand. He had been preparing a gift for her for so long, using the excuse that it was in the spirit of 'Christmas', although she was the enemy. He was about to knock on the window until he actually looked inside. He always thought that it was impossible for a heart to break, but his certainly did in that moment. He watched for a while, crying on the inside, until he finally went 'home' to his only allies on this terrible planet, Kisshu and Taruto.

Coming back into the moment, Pai looked at the ceiling again, thinking about what might have occurred if Ryou hadn't been there that day; if he had given his present to Retasu. Or, perhaps if he had knocked on the window anyway… He sat up again, the water dripping out of his ears, his hearing clarified. He held up the necklace that he had around his neck; Retasu's forgotten Christmas present. He sat looking at it for a while, until he heard the door to the bathroom click open. He turned; slightly alarmed at the sound, but his expression turned to confusion when he saw Retasu standing before him, her cheeks pink.

Blushing, he grabbed the bottle of bubble bath that was on the edge of the tub, poured a large amount in and swished the water around to make as many bubbles as possible. Retasu giggled, covering her mouth. "Don't worry Pai-san. I won't look." She said, as her blush deepened. "Umm… is it okay if I…" She began, becoming redder by the second. Pai raised an eyebrow, as she glanced back and forth between him and the ground.

"If it okay if… what?" Pai asked, waving his hand around for emphasis.

"Is it okay if I join you…?" She asked, biting her lower lip. He stared at her in confusion until he realized what she was talking about, at which point he too began to blush.

"Join me, uh, what? Didn't you just say that you weren't ready for me to kiss you?" He asked, now thoroughly confused. Retasu frowned, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"I guess… I'm sorry… please pretend that I didn't say anything." She said as she turned towards the door.

"Wait, I didn't say that I minded," Pai said, blushing even more as he spoke. "I just don't understand you." He couldn't help but smile slightly at the color of her face.

Slowly, she began to unbutton her shirt, causing him to look away out of politeness. He listened to the rustling of her clothes as they slid off, a sense of excitement flowing through him. In ways, this what he had always dreamed of, except he didn't really feel the same way about it now. He wasn't so much aroused, just… _excited_. After a few minutes, she gracefully slid into the tub. Pai shivered as he felt her smooth legs slide along his. He looked towards the beet-red Retasu that sat across from him in the tub, self-consciously gathering bubbles to cover her half-submerged breasts.

They sat in silence for a few moments, until she finally spoke. "I've always liked you." She said quietly, clearly afraid to admit how she felt. Pai looked up in surprise to find Retasu looking at him, her eyes sad. "Because we were enemies, I refused to fall in love with you." She whispered, looking away. Pai liked her without glasses. He could see her so much more clearly now and perhaps understand her more. "But, ever since you came here, looking for me, I can't help it…" She looked up, her eyes tearing up. "Ever since you found me last night, I can't stop thinking about you."

Pai could feel his heart thudding in his chest as she spoke. "I don't know you very well, Pai-san, but I really want to now." She said, tears rolling down her cheeks as she smiled softly. "Since you saw me and Ryou, I understand if you don't want anything to do with me, but I-" Retasu was cut off once again by another furious kiss from Pai, who had abruptly sat up, pulling her into his chest. This time, she allowed herself to kiss him back without any interruptions. After he pulled his lips away from hers, he embraced her tightly, resting his head on her shoulder.

"I'll always love you Retasu, even if you decide that you don't love me back." He whispered, ignoring the fact that they were both naked. Retasu returned his embrace, closing her eyes. They sat there, wrapped in each other's arms for a while until Pai finally pulled away, leaning back against the edge of the bathtub.

"I only need to know one thing." He said as Retasu looked up at him, a little nervous. "That child… is he yours…?" He asked as Retasu smiled slightly.

"No." She said plainly, causing Pai to raise his head, a little surprised. "He's the son of one of the other mothers here." She looked down at the bubbles in the tub sadly. "I was never pregnant." She said, making a little pile of bubbles. Pai realized that he probably wanted that kid to look like Retasu, just so everything would make sense.

"Why did you leave, then?" He asked, looking at the ceiling.

"I thought I was pregnant, but it turned out that I wasn't." She said, turning her bubble pile into a castle. "By the time I found out, I was already here. I didn't want to go back after all that had happened." She smashed her castle into the water, causing a splash. "I didn't want to face my family, my friends, Ryou…" She paused. "Or you." Pai furrowed his brow.

"Why me? Like you said, we don't really know each other." He said, feeling a little silly due to the fact that they were bathing together when he said it. She smiled uncertainly, beginning to rebuild her bubble castle.

"Again, I liked you… and… well…" She blushed. "I'd seen you lurking around my house before." Pai blushed furiously at this. "And, the way you looked at me sometimes… I guess you could say that I kind of knew how you felt." He suddenly felt incredibly embarrassed, now that he knew that Retasu had known how he had felt all along.

"Wow. Um…" He honestly didn't know what to say. "I really don't know how to respond."

"It's okay." She said, grabbing his hand and holding it against her face. He then realized that Retasu was staring at his eye, her face filled with concern. "How did you get that scar?" She asked, lightly touching the marking that ran from his forehead to his cheek. Pai frowned.

"You wouldn't like my answer." He said softly, looking away. Her eyes filled with understanding.

"Ryou did that, didn't he?" She asked, cradling his cheek. His eyes seemed sad as he looked into her sapphire eyes. He didn't speak, but instead he nodded once. Clearly remembering something, he chuckled cynically.

"You should have seen him. He was _so_ mad." He laughed, running his hand through his wet hair. "He thought that I was the reason that you ran away." Retasu looked like she was on the verge of tears. "Hey," He said, leaning forward, holding the back of her neck. "It's not you fault, never was. It's all in the past now." He said, brushing her hair back.

"I'm so sorry that he did that to you." Pai simply shook his head and turned her around in the tub to allow her to lean against him. "Really, really sorry…" They sat in silence for a moment before Retasu spoke again. "This is a little strange." She said softly, blushing as she looked down at her hands. "I wouldn't have ever thought that I'd be here with you, like this." Since she couldn't see his face, Pai allowed himself a sincere smile as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, politely making sure not to look at her or touch her indecently.

"We're pruning." Retasu observed as she lifted her hands to look at her fingertips.

"Just let me hold you a little longer." He whispered as she closed her eyes, placing her hands on his arms.

* * *

Pai was standing in the kitchen of Retasu's house, drinking out of a milk carton when the front door opened, revealing Amaya, Umeko in tow. He furrowed his brow at the entrance of the two, not so much because they had shown up, but because they hadn't bothered to knock. Amaya didn't seem to be particularly surprised by Pai's presence, although Umeko squealed in delight at the sight of him. "Good afternoon." Amaya said politely as her daughter screamed something about "the weird cosplayer" being "Onee-chan's" boyfriend.

"Good afternoon." He responded, ignoring the little girl.

"Is Retasu here?" The woman asked, closing the door behind her. Pai blushed, an awkward smile creeping onto his face.

"Um… yeah… she'll be out… soon…" He said, nervously ruffling his shoulder-length hair.

"Pai, can you grab my bra? I left it-" Retasu stopped in mid-sentence as she poked her head around the corner and noticed that she had visitors. Blushing furiously, she said "just a moment, please" before she disappeared again. Amaya and Pai stood in awkward silence while Umeko giggled uncontrollably. Turning to face him, the woman smiled knowingly.

"I presume that you found who you were looking for?" She said as Pai blushed again.

"Uh, yeah, I did. By the way, any ideas that you may have gotten from that," He said, waving in the direction of the place where Retasu had appeared. "You're completely mistaken. Amaya chuckled at this, shaking her head. Finally realizing that he was still holding the milk, Pai decided to put the carton back into the fridge. After a few moments, a fully-clothed Retasu walked into the living room where her company stood.

"I'm sorry, I was…" She began as she smiled awkwardly at Amaya. "Uh… yeah, you know." She finished, pushing her glasses a little higher up her nose, blushing. The older woman laughed a little bit. "So, what did you need?" Retasu asked.

"Well, I was going to invite you over for tea, but I guess that I should probably let you two be." Amaya replied, nodding towards Pai (who was leaning on the counter). Retasu blushed and looked down at her feet.

"Um… I'm sorry. We just have some things that we need to work out." She said as the older woman shook her head.

"Don't worry about it." She said as she squeezed Umeko's hand. "Well, we will see you around, Retasu, and maybe you too, 'Pai'-san." She said, smiling in Pai's direction. He nodded in acknowledgement. With one last smile to Retasu, Amaya left, taking the bubbly, waving Umeko with her. When the door shut, Pai and Retasu stood in silence for a moment until she looked over to the man in her kitchen.

"Are you going to call home now?" He asked, resting his head in his hand. She looked at the ground for a minute, thinking. "I'm going to call Café Mew Mew first. I'm a little scared to talk to my parents right now." She said, twiddling her thumbs. "Or Uri, gosh, he's fifteen now! He probably has a girlfriend." She smiled at the thought of this. "I've really missed home, Pai-san." She said as she sat down on one of the chairs around her coffee table.

Pai watched as she flipped through the phonebook until she found the number for the café. He noticed that her hands were shaking as she dialed the number, so he entered the living room, taking a seat in the chair nearest hers. As she held the phone by her ear, listening to the phone ring, Pai placed his hand on hers, squeezing it. She smiled at him softly, turning her hand over so that she could squeeze back.

Then, the phone at Café Mew Mew was answered.

"Uh, yes, hello… it that you, Keiichirou-san? Um, yeah, it's me… Retasu, Midorikawa Retasu. I'm so happy to hear your voice! I've missed you so much. Oh, hi Ichigo. Yes, yes I'm fine. Pai found me. No, he hasn't done anything bad to me." Pai smiled at this, and Retasu smiled back at him.

"I'll be headed home as soon as possible. How is everyone? How about my parents? And Uri? Thank you. Can you tell my family that I'll be back soon? Thank you so much. I'm in Tokaimoya. It's on a small island in the north. I'll tell you all about it when I get back, so please be patient. No, I'm not going to disappear forever if I hand up. Again, I'll be home soon. I love you guys, and I'll see you soon. Bye."

When Retasu put down the receiver, she breathed a sigh of relief. Turning to Pai, she smiled softly, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm going home."

* * *

Retasu was now standing in front of the train, bags packed, and Pai at her side. All of Retasu's friends from Tokaimoya had gathered at the station, giving her lots of hugs and kisses, bidding farewell. Umeko was crying when the time came to board the train. Retasu gave her a final kiss on the forehead before she got on the train, all of her bags already on board. "I'll miss you all. I hope that I can see you again someday." Retasu said out the window as the train left, leaving the foggy town behind.

When she could no longer see her friends through the mist, she sat back down in her seat next to Pai, smiling sadly. "I'll miss them." She said as she pulled her coat tighter around her. Pai smiled very slightly, draping his arm around her shoulders.

"How did you end up there anyway? I couldn't find it on the map until recently." He said as Retasu grinned, looking up at him.

"Local legend says that the island of Namika can only be found by those that are truly lost." She said as Pai scoffed, looking across to the empty seat in front of him.

"I guess that makes sense." He said, looking back at Retasu. "But you're found now, right?" She nodded, snuggling into his chest.

"That's why I'm going home." She smiled. "With you."

"Oh." Pai started suddenly, reaching into his pocket, and producing the necklace that he never gave to Retasu. Dangling it in front of her he smiled slightly. "Merry Christmas." He said. Retasu furrowed her brow in confusion (due to the fact that it was March), but she smiled and took the necklace.

"Merry Christmas, Pai-san," She shifted her body to reach up and kiss him on the cheek. "And thank you for everything."


	4. Dear Readers

Dear readers,

Thank you very much for reading this story. Don't worry, this isn't another chapter. I just felt that I needed to answer a question that I got, and explain a thing or two.

First off, my dear, dear Arizo said to me after she read the final chapter of Tokaimoya, 'why didn't Pai just teleport them back?' The explanation for this was something that I meant to put in the story somewhere, but I couldn't really find a place for. The reason why Pai didn't teleport them back is because during his travels, he began to rely less and less on his alien powers, mostly due to the fact that he felt that Retasu wasn't interested in him because he wasn't human. So, perhaps out of habit, or perhaps out of wanting to seem more 'normal', they took the train. In the original plan for my story, I was going to have him cut his ears off, but I decided that was a little too gruesome and strange.

Second, another thing that I just wasn't able to include, was more details of why Retasu thought she was pregnant, and ran, as opposed to seeking help. As I mentioned, in the beginning of the story, Retasu was involved with Ryou. And, as you might have noticed in the last chapter, Pai was remembering when he going to give Retasu her present, he almost walked in on Retasu and Ryou 'making love'. One thing that I didn't talk about though, was that it wasn't quite consensual, and Retasu was pressured into it. Pai was a little too heartbroken to focus on the details and see that Retasu wasn't happy.

Thanks for reading! I hope that you enjoyed 'Tokaimoya'.

Sincerely, Zen.


End file.
